Botanical Infusion:
150 ml / 5 fl. oz. Plymouth Gin
3 g crushed black pepper
3 g bay leaves
3 g sage
1 g gentian root
1 g wormwood
1 g star anise
1 g nutmeg
1 g dried rosemary
Cocktail (makes 700ml):
150 ml botanical infusion
500 ml or 2 cups brown ale
50 g or 1/4 cup demerara sugar
50 g or 1/4 cup caster sugar
Botanical Infusion:
Macerate all the ingredients in a jam jar (or similar) for 2 weeks, then strain and reserve. You can speed this process up a little by pressurizing the ingredients in a hand-held cream whipper, charged with a nitrous-oxide cartridge.
Cocktail:
Build all the ingredients into a glass bottle or a large jar, allowing the sugar to dissolve.
The cocktail can be enjoyed cold, straight from the fridge, or warmed up in its bottle.
Adjust the sugar according to taste and feel free to play around with different styles of beer.
Credits: The Curious Bartender's Gin Palace by Tristan Stephenson, published by Hardie Grant
Photo Credits: The Curious Bartender's Gin Palace by Tristan Stephenson, published by Hardie Grant